After spending many years using Canon SLR and Digital SLR cameras, I've come to review the K100D, Pentax's entry level DSLR. I was not expecting much, but to say I was surprised is an understatement.

The camera is designed for a beginner: things like not using a battery pack - instead using four AA batterys - as well as the body being completely plastic give it away (although all of the internal components are steel). That said, it's up there with some of the more expensive competition when it comes to the photos it produces.

Fit and Feel

The K100D is one of the smaller DSLR cameras on the market, and as such sits nicely in the hand. The case is bolted together well, and feels like a quality product, it feels like a much more expensive camera than it is. The only downside to the finish of the camera is some of the doors that things hide behind. The SD and connection doors feel a little flimsy in comparison to the rest of the body.

The layout of the controls are well thought out and placed within easy reach of your fingers. All of the standard 'shooting' controls are clustered around your right hand forefinger and thumb, with all of the menu type functions clustered around the clear 2.5" display on the rear left hand side. The inclusion of the preview shot function is a nice feature. This allows you to take a shot, and see it displayed on the LCD screen (for a longer period when compared to the standard quick preview when you actually take a shot), without it going to the SD card. This allows you to setup the shot without having to switch to the review mode all the time.

The lens mount point takes any of the KA-Mount lenses available, however as with all DLSR cameras, lenses designed for normal 35mm SLR bodies will give a little headache with focus length conversions, luckily the conversion is a 1.5X calculation giving a 35mm lens the actual focal length of 52.5mm.

Photos and Features

This is where the K100D shines. It has enough features to keep most pro-am photographers happy, but at the same time is easy enough for a beginner to just point and shoot.

All of the images you see here have either been shot by myself or my wife who are experienced DSLR users, except for the Rally shots, these where shot by a friend of mine at the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Portugal, and these are significant as the K100D is the first SLR or DSLR he has used.